Profane justice
Subtitle: a comprehensive guide to asserting your parental rights
By: by Suzanne Shell.
Publisher: Sage Wisdom Press
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Colorado Springs, Colo
Language: eng
Number of pages: 210
Subjects: Parent and child -- United States.; Parent and child (Law) -- United States.; Children -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- United States.; Minors -- United States.
First sentence: there is a war raging over the control of our children the cry of outrage is spreading across this nation
Description: NTRODUCTION
Spanking is a controversial discipline method, and while universally legal, is construed to be abuse by the ‘agents of the state.' An introduction to the motives of the author and the contents of the book. 
CHAPTER 1 - THE DESECRATION OF THE FAMILY
"There is a war waging over the control of our children.." This chapter includes the generally accepted criteria attributed to abusers, including being ‘overly religious.' It also includes the author's own story. 
CHAPTER 2 - AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION
What steps to take to prevent yourself from being falsely accused of child abuse including during the process of disciplining your child. An expose' of state ‘anti-spanking' tactics directed at churches. Supreme Court rulings that favor parental control over the upbringing of children. The policies of schools regarding teaching children about abuse and their cooperation in turning children over to Social Services without evidence of abuse. The popular culture as it applies to raising children. 
CHAPTER 3 - THE MEDIA
How the media has affected the attitudes of children and society and the impact of these attitudes on parenting. A revealing discussion on the ‘Children First' campaign. 
CHAPTER 4 - APPLYING DISCIPLINE IN LOVE
Based on the principle that parents who love their children discipline their children, this chapter includes detailed information on how to deal with administering discipline to prevent injury and accusations, including the child who misbehaves in public. It also reveals some warning signs that a child is considering using the system to gain control in the family and avoid parental discipline. 
CHAPTER 5 - TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY
What you and you children should be aware of regarding the often deceitful tactics of social services and schools, and what information to keep private. This chapter tells how your child can be the first line of defense against a false accusation. 
CHAPTER 6 - SOCIAL SERVICES AT YOUR DOOR
This chapter details exactly what your rights are and the limits on the statutory authority of Social Services by ‘fighting over the doorknob, not over the child.' A treasure of tactics to use to protect your rights and keep your children out of the custody of Social Services. How to make them PROVE abuse, how to fight the commonly accepted principle of ‘guilty until proven innocent.' A disclosure of all tactics used by the state to gain access to and custody of your children, and how to counter each tactic using the law. How to keep your children with another family member if the state manages to legally get custody. 
CHAPTER 7 - NOT GUILTY
The people who cooperate with Social Services (believing they have nothing to hide) suffer far more than those who fight the false charges and refuse to cooperate in any way. The reasons NOT to accept a plea bargain, and how to prepare your winning case based on the fact that most juries do not convict in child abuse cases. Which court your case can be tried in, and the benefits and disadvantages of each venue. 
CHAPTER 8 - THE INVESTIGATION
What kind of lawyer you need and how to find him. Information your lawyer should have and exactly what he should be doing in your defense. Options on representing yourself, and the associated benefits, drawbacks, and ramifications. What to expect during a police investigation, and what you should do. Illegal tactics employed in many Social Services investigations, and how to counter them. And the necessity of conducting your own investigation, and how to conduct it effectively. What tactics to employ that could win your case. 
CHAPTER 9 - THE TRIAL
How to dress and act during your trial. Detailed information on what to expect in the courtroom. The advantages of appealing a conviction. 
CHAPTER 10 - JURY DUTY
The historical role of juries in America, and how the system has been perverted today. What you should know as a juror. The concept of ‘stacking charges' to get the jury to convict on at least one. Recent Supreme Court ruling on sentencing. A brief discussion of the Grand Jury. 
CHAPTER 11 - ACCOUNTABILITY AND DAMAGES
How to sue the ‘Agents of the State' for violating your civil rights during a false child abuse investigation. Suing the state for fraud against the Federal Government. How to gain an appearance before a Grand Jury to criminally indict ‘Agents of the State' for acting outside the law. 
CHAPTER 12 - CHANGE THE LAW
Why the law must be changed, and nineteen ways to change it in your state. 
EPILOGUE
The unedited letter by a fourteen year old girl who tried to use the system to control her parents, as she was taught how to by the schools, and her resultant fear and distrust of the state as she remained away from her parents for months. This is her plea for help against a deceitful and intractable system. 
APPENDIX
A list of resources and books for parents facing false accusations. Bibliography.
Notes: (born circa 1957 maiden name "Ostrum") is an American activist critical of child protective services.

Shell grew up in Minnesota. Her first experience with child protective services occurred in 1974, when at age 17 she was punched in the face by her father.[1] That year, she was put in a foster home and gave birth to a baby she gave up for adoption.[1] She further became involved in dependency and neglect cases after Elbert County, Colorado, took away one of her children in 1991 "for a spanking that left no marks." The child was returned after four days with no further action against her.[2] Since that time she has assisted other families facing court-ordered sanctions. Shell runs a website called Profane Justice and has also published a book by the same title. [3]

Shell stated in an interview with Freedom Magazine, a Church of Scientology publication, "In today’s society, many parental practices are being falsely interpreted as abuse — including home schooling, discipline, spanking, Bible reading, and even breast feeding. This results in the prosecution of many innocent parents." [4] In 2002, she told a reporter "I don't think they should ever terminate parental rights without proof that a child has been seriously hurt."
Notable legal cases

In March 2004, the Colorado Supreme Court cited Shell for contempt of court for ignoring the 2001 order[1]; the citation was upheld and Shell was fined $6,000.[2]

In 2005, Shell filed suit on behalf of herself and April Fields in Colorado District Court against several officials connected with Child Protective Services. [1] The case was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, and was a subject for her 2006 contempt citation by the state Supreme Court, as she was found to have attempted to represent Fields in the court without a license to practice law.

On December 12, 2005, Shell demanded Internet Archive pay her $100,000 for archiving her website between 1999 and 2004.[6] Internet Archive filed a declaratory judgment Action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on January 20, 2006 seeking a judicial determination that Internet Archive did not violate Shell’s copyright. Shell responded and brought a countersuit against Internet Archive for archiving her site, which she alleges is in violation of her terms of service.[7] On February 13, 2007, a judge for the United States District Court for the District of Colorado dismissed all counterclaims except breach of contract.[6] The Internet Archive did not move to dismiss copyright infringement claims Shell asserted arising out of its copying activities.[8] On April 25, 2007 Internet Archive and Shell jointly announced the settlement of their lawsuit. The Internet Archive said, "Internet Archive has no interest in including materials in the Wayback Machine of persons who do not wish to have their Web content archived. We recognize that Ms. Shell has a valid and enforceable copyright in her Web site and we regret that the inclusion of her Web site in the Wayback Machine resulted in this litigation. We are happy to have this case behind us." Shell stated, "I respect the historical value of Internet Archive’s goal. I never intended to interfere with that goal nor cause it any harm."[9]

On February 13, 2009, Shell filed a lawsuit against 30 individuals and organizations she states are her competitors. The lawsuit, Shell v. AFRA, et al, was filed in Federal Court in Denver, Colorado.